


Dog-Gone Witches

by SOFreddie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Dog Dean Winchester, Fluff, Implied Torture, dog!Dean, mentions of blood/violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 03:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20867111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SOFreddie/pseuds/SOFreddie
Summary: While fighting a witch, Dean is hit with a spell that turns his whole world upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

“You Hunters, always quick to intervene, trying to stop us,” the Witch scowled at Dean, her magical powers holding him tightly against the wall. Dean struggled against the hold, to no avail, the invisible pressure too much for him to pull himself away, “Especially you Winchesters! You know…you and your brother cause more harm than good.”**  
**

“Just ridding the world of monsters like you, one beheading at a time,” Dean snarked, wincing against his invisible bonds.

“I’m a monster because I killed a few people to harvest their organs to bring back my sister?” the Witch scoffed, “Shall we discuss all you’ve done and who you’ve hurt to bring back your brother time and again?” she countered with a sneer, “No, I believe this world is better off without Dean Winchester,” she smirked, turning to the wooden table in the middle of the room and glancing over her tome, a bony index finger tracing along the pages, “Aha!” she exclaimed, lifting her head to look at Dean with a wicked grin.

“Whatever you do to me, my brother _will _kill you,” Dean growled.

“Doesn’t matter,” she smiled, lifting her hands towards Dean, “Sam just can’t seem to hunt without his big brother around. I’m doing the world a public service,” she spat, before starting an incantation. Blue sparks flew from her hands and into Dean’s chest. He screamed at the pain, feeling like his body was twisting into itself. The sparks grew into blinding light and he felt the invisible hold on him disappear before he blacked out.

Dean stirred slightly, groaning at the ache in every part of his body. He opened his eyes, seeing blue sky spattered with treetops, leaves blowing in the light breeze. The last thing he remembered was the witch casting some spell. He rolled from his back to his front and pushed up, his body falling back down as it didn’t seem to work as usual. He looked at his hands, which were suddenly fur-covered paws. His eyes traveled over himself and he quickly realized he wasn’t himself, but a dog. _Fucking witches_.

His clothes were gone and as he looked around himself, he saw none of his belongings. _Can’t call Sam_. He spent the next twenty minutes trying to figure out his new body, how it moved and responded, how he walked and ran, how the muscles moved in different places and ways than he was accustomed. Once he felt reasonably confident, he looked around himself, noticing his vision and sense of smell and hearing all seemed sharper. _Handy_. 

He was in the middle of some random wooded area, though he could hear traffic close by. He followed the sounds, realizing he was in a small wood beside a suburban neighborhood. As he emerged onto a sidewalk, he could see people in either direction walking along, enjoying the day.

“Mommy, look! A puppy!” Dean turned his attention towards the sound, seeing a little girl approaching him rapidly, her hands outstretched to touch him. He backed up a few steps warily, seeing the mother jogging to catch up with her overeager child.

“Melissa, Sweetheart, don’t touch!” the mother scolded, reaching her child before she got to Dean. He found himself frozen to the spot, unsure how to react. The mother straightened after coldly chastising her daughter and Dean felt a quiet rumble in his chest at the way she talked to the girl. The woman looked down at him in disgust and fear, “He doesn’t have a collar and he’s _mangy_,” the woman scoffed, grabbing her daughter’s hand and pulling her phone from her pocket, dialing a number. 

Dean had a sudden urge to bite this woman. _I’ll show you mangy_. But he refrained, looking at the girl who seemed sad to not be able to touch him.

“Yes, Animal Control?” the woman spoke into the phone and Dean felt the hairs on his neck rise. _Of course._ Before she could continue, he took back off into the woods as fast as his body would allow, which seemed to be pretty freaking fast. _Sam, Cas…need some help here_, he thought over and over again as he burst out the other side of the woods suddenly, into a street. The last thing he saw was the bumper of a non-descript sedan before he felt the impact and blacked out once more.

Dean decided quickly that he didn’t like the pound,_ at all_. It was like a jail, but with less freedom and constant _bitching _and _moaning _from the other inmates. After he was hit by the car, he was scooped up by Animal Control, patched up, and had been in his cage for the better part of a week. Picking locks wasn’t exactly an option and he was completely enclosed. So he had no choice but to go with Plan B…the people who came to claim and adopt pets. 

Dean did his best to put on a show for those who came strolling through. But he found most people avoided him. After hearing the kennel worker refer to him as an_ American Mastiff,_ he guessed he figured why. _Couldn’t have been a Lab or Retriever, he thought, had to be a large, restricted breed. But of course_. Still, he persisted, putting on his best show. However, after the douchebag redneck showed up, things became harder. Dean could sense it all over the guy, he wasn’t kind to anyone, especially dogs. When the man took an interest in him, Dean growled in warning. When the man shushed him and reached out to touch him, Dean nipped in his direction but didn’t actually bite, causing the man to withdraw with a scowl. _Great, now I’ll be unadoptable_. 

At the end of his first week, he was starting to lose all hope. The hope of being adopted, the hope of Sam or Cas finding him, the hope of ever finding a way out. Until _she _came. 

“So, what kind of dog you lookin’ for today, ma’am?” the kennel worker asked her. Dean smashed his face against the cage, straining to get a look at the woman. She smelled sweet, a bit musky like she’d been working hard, but he could somehow _smell _sadness and loneliness on her as well, which he found particularly peculiar. She was tall, for a woman, broad and strong, and an average beauty, but attractive nonetheless. She reminded him of an Amazon woman, or a Warrior Princess somehow.

“Well, I’m looking for a companion dog, hardy. Preferably a larger dog.” the man nodded, listing off a few of the dogs they had available. After a brief talk, he offered her to walk around and see if any were to her liking. Dean watched as she made her rounds, before coming to his cage and stopping. She knelt down, looking him over with a sweet smile.

“Hey there,” she smiled at him, reading over the tag on his cage before looking back at him, “Aren’t you beautiful?” she said, slowly lifting her hand, placing the back of it against the cage and waiting for him to come to her. Dean was surprised. Other than the one man, no one had given him a second glance. He slowly rose up to his full height, or as tall as he could on four legs, and approached her, nudging his cold, wet nose against the back of her hand. He suddenly felt like maybe his plan would work as she smiled broadly at him.

“Ah, you don’t want that one,” the kennel worker appeared at her side and she stood, frowning down at Dean.

“Why not?” she asked, confused.

“He was found wandering a neighborhood. Scared a mother and her kid half to death before he was hit by a car. We had one fella look him over, but he growled and nipped at him too. It’s a shame, we’ll probably have to put him down,” the man sighed and Dean suddenly felt panicked. He supposed he could always try to escape when they removed him for euthanasia. Dean let out a soft whine as he watched the woman be ushered away. She turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder with a frown, before allowing herself to be ushered elsewhere.

Dean wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he laid on the floor of his cage, his head resting on his front paws. He gave himself comfort, imagining ripping out that witch’s throat with his canine teeth. He got so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the small family now looking down at him. They were discussing amongst themselves if he would be a good guard dog, possibly train him to help with shepherding and other farm tasks. The child protested, saying he didn’t look friendly, but the parents continued to chatter amongst themselves their plans for Dean.

“Um, excuse me?” it was the woman again. _She came back_. “That’s uh…that’s my dog,” she said, a little firm but polite, “Or, he will be,” she smiled and exchanged pleasantries with the family before they moved along. She watched them leave before kneeling down in front of his cage once more, “Hey boy,” she smiled, “I know the guy said you weren’t a good choice. But when I saw those people talking to you all I could think was ‘_get away from my dog’_,” she smiled warmly at him, “What do you think, boy? Wanna come home with me?”

Dean took in her warm expression, her words reigniting the bit of hope he had before he barked in response. _Yeah. Go get the guy. Get me the Hell out of here!_ She left and returned several long minutes later, which felt like an eternity to Dean, the kennel worker in tow.

“Still think you should’ve gone with the Golden Retriever,” the man shook his head, leaning over to unlock Dean’s cage, a leash in his hand, “Alright boy, I’m gonna open this up and slip the leash on you for this nice lady. I don’t want any trouble,” Dean bit back the urge to growl at the man, but sat on his rear feet, waiting for the cage to open. Once the leash and collar were in place, he handed it to the woman and shook her hand.

“Thank you so much,” she smiled gleefully, reaching down to run her hand over Dean’s head. He was surprised by how good it felt, “Come on boy, let’s go home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean learns more about Y/N and where he is while trying to figure out a solution to his problem.

Close to another week and Dean was no closer to executing his escape plans than he was back at the kennel. His new owner - Y/N he learned from her interactions - was a nice enough person. She took great care of Dean. She even made him food, instead of buying dog food, which he was very grateful for. She was a good cook and seemed to really enjoy it, which Dean found endearing. He also loved it when she bathed him, her hands strong but gentle. He loved the way she giggled and playfully scolded him when he shook out his hair, getting her all wet. She let him lay in bed with her, often running her fingers through his fur until she fell asleep.**  
**

But she also lived in the middle of nowhere, a small house on a large plot of land far outside of any community. She was alone, completely, in a self-isolation of sorts and he was both frustrated - that there was no way he could escape without getting lost or picked up again - and felt guilty - because he didn’t want to end up taking off when he was all she had. He understood why she wanted a dog - a companion as she said at the pound. He suddenly found he wanted to talk to her and get to know her, ease her mind and suffering even just a little bit. But he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He had to find a way to get ahold of his brother or Angel friend. He had to get back to his own life, his _human _life.

That night, everything changed, and Dean’s hopes of reversing the spell, of finding Sam or Cas, were all dashed to a million tiny pieces.

“Still haven’t found a name for you that we agree on,” Y/N said as she sat on the couch, making room and gesturing for Dean to lay his head in her lap. She had pulled off her overshirt, leaving her in a camisole as it was a bit warm in the house. Dean looked up at her and his ears perked, head tilted to the side as his head lifted from her lap. On her chest, the same place as his own was an anti-possession tattoo. _A hunter?_ That was his initial thought until she settled on the couch and picked up the remote, turning on the TV.

“Hope you’re a Supernatural fan,” she mumbled to him and Dean’s head turned quickly to the TV, watching as a recap began playing. He sat up straight on the couch, seeing himself, his brother, and others, events of their lives playing out for anyone to see. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Not in Kansas anymore, Todo_. Not only was he a dog, but he wasn’t even in his own universe. How would he _ever_ find a way out of this?

“Hey boy, hush,” Y/N scolded as Dean bounded off the couch, looking at the TV and barking frantically, “What has gotten into you?” she said, pausing the show and rising from her seat to go to him. The screen had paused on Sam and Dean whined pitifully, suddenly missing him so much more. “Hey boy,” she spoke quietly, running her hand over his head soothingly, “You okay?”

Dean walked back over to the couch, pawing at the remote. Y/N came back with a furrowed brow, grabbing the remote and pushing play. Dean barked at every appearance of himself, nudging Y/N with his nose, and doing anything he could to try and communicate his point with her.

“You like Dean, huh?” she smirked, wondering what had gotten into her dog. He barked in response and she laughed, “Maybe we should call _you _Dean,” she joked, but Dean barked again in response, jumping playfully around. “Okay…_Dean_, come sit on the couch,” she patted the space beside her and Dean jumped up next to her, his tail wagging and tongue hanging out his mouth. She laughed, “Weird name for a dog, but who am I to argue? Dean it is,” she smiled warmly, looking over his happy face, “Can you keep a secret?” she leaned in, whispering to him, “I like Dean too. He’s an amazing man. Too bad he isn’t real, huh?” she sighed with a smirk, turning her attention back to the TV._ I have a fan_, he thought as he laid his head back in her lap, listening and watching as she reacted to the show. He realized he managed to communicate with her and started trying to think of how else to get what needed to be said across. _Got the name down. Now just need to figure out ‘I’m the real Dean and I was turned into a dog by a witch and sent flying through space and time and I need your help to get back’_. He was screwed.

“Where. Is. My. _BROTHER_?!” Sam growled at the witch who was tied down to a chair in her basement, warded cuffs on her wrists preventing her from doing any magic.

“_Gone_,” the witch laughed at Sam, “You and your _brother _are menaces. I did the world a favor,” she shrugged before screaming as Sam slashed through her brittle flesh once more, adding to the increasing amounts of blood already staining her clothes.

“Alright,” Sam stated, tossing the blade down on the wooden table behind him and turning his attention to the items strewn about its surface, “I know he tracked you here. I know you did something to him. I was only an hour behind, so…” he looked at the various ingredients and objects on the table, before his eyes landed on the grimoire. He could see her shuffle in her chair and he smirked, reaching for the book and opening the cover, “Once I figure out what you did to him and how to fix it, I _will _kill you,” he said casually.

“What will happen first, I wonder?” the witch taunted him, “You figuring out what happened to Dean, or my friends showing up to crash your little party.”

Sam leveled her with a glare, sending yet another silent prayer to Cas, before settling in to read the book and hoping something jumped out at him.

“Hey Jake,” Y/N greeted the tall and thin man with a smile as she climbed from her truck, bringing Dean along with her, “Thanks for agreeing to see me. I wasn’t sure who else to turn to.”

“Anything for a friend,” Jake returned the smile, before looking down at Dean, “And this must be Dean,” he crouched down, extending his hand. As Dean put his own paw in Jake’s hand, Jake smiled, “Good boy,” he praised, scratching between Dean’s ears before rising up. Dean bit back the urge, which he noticed he had quite often, to growl or bite. He didn’t like anyone touching him. Well, except for Y/N.

Jake led the way into his small house and to a small office looking room in the back. As soon as they entered, Dean’s hairs stood on end, seeing all sorts of adornments and items that indicated this man was a witch, or possibly a Shaman. His instincts had him on edge as he kept a cautious guard at Y/N’s side.

“So, this is gonna sound strange,” Y/N began, looking sheepish, “But I wasn’t sure who else to turn to. I remember you telling me about your culture and Shamanism and communing with nature and all. So I figured you might be able to help me.”

“What’s the problem?” Jake asked, leaning forward in his chair to give Y/N his full attention. Dean noted how his mannerisms were very similar to Sam’s, which only made him miss his brother more. He wondered how Sam was faring with his sudden disappearance. If it was anything like the other times, not well he assumed.

“Well, uh,” Y/N scratched the back of her neck, laughing a little to herself, “It’s Dean, actually,” she motioned to the dog and Jake’s gaze flickered to Dean before returning to her, “He’s been really off this past week. I mean, he’s kind of a peculiar dog to begin with, which is part of the reason I like him so much, but this is different. I swear to you, it’s like he’s trying to tell me something. He barks a lot, gets really amped up, jumps around, grabs at things like he wants me to pay attention to them. I just…I thought maybe you might be able to connect with him somehow, figure out what’s going on,” she shrugged, shaking her head.

“Well, most of Shamanism is communing with Nature, Animals, Spirits,” he nodded in affirmation, rising from his seat to peruse his bookcase, “I think I have an old Inuit text here, based off the writings of a Shaman and, aha!” he pulled the text from the shelf, returning to his seat and thumbing through the pages before stopping on a certain one, “Yeah, communing with animals,” he read aloud, shifting so she could read along with him, “This here describes a ritual of sorts. As part of their Rite of Passage, young Inuit men would be sent into the wilderness to find themselves. They were equipped with a brew that allowed them to mentally become one with nature,” he explained, “Mind-melding with animals, basically.”

“So, just make up some magic potion that lets you talk to animals? That seems a bit far-fetched,” Y/N grimaced.

“It’s not magic, not really,” Jake explained as he rose from his seat once more, book in hand, as he sorted through shelves and drawers, withdrawing items, “It’s more…_spiritual science_.”

Y/N sighed, watching as Jake began mixing several items in accordance with the text, “This isn’t gonna be like that time we took peyote and ended up naked on your roof, howling at the moon, is it?” she chuckled nervously with a smirk.

Jake looked up at her with a grin, “Nah, that was just fun,” he teased, returning to his mission, “While this _does _have some mildly hallucinogenic properties, it’s more to serve a purpose of relaxing your body and mind, allowing you to be more open to accepting the input of nature that would otherwise be closed off to you,” he explained, walking over to Dean and yanking a few hairs from his neck, mixing them into the brew. Dean’s eyes went wide as he watched, knowing exactly what was coming because he had been there himself. His tail began to wag in excitement, realizing he would finally be able to tell Y/N what was going on and hopefully get help to get back to normal.

Y/N looked up from her seat at the glass of murky, brown liquid Jake handed to her, “Seriously?” she said, taking the glass tentatively and examining the mixture, taking a whiff and drawing back quickly with a look of disgust, “I’m supposed to _drink _this?”

“Well, yeah,” Jake shrugged, taking his seat in the chair beside her once more, “You drink that, then read this right here. Then, theoretically, you should be able to talk to Dean,” he smiled.

“Theoretically?” she looked between Jake and Dean, before looking back at the glass in her hand. Dean barked several times, nudging her arm with his nose, “Alright, alright,” she sighed, taking a deep breath, “Here goes nothing.”

She quickly downed the drink, coughing and twisting her face in disgust as she handed the glass back to Jake. She focused on the words, and not the lingering foul taste in her mouth, careful to pronounce them correctly. When finished, she looked at Dean, who tilted his head, staring back at her.

“Yeah, nothing,” she shook her head.

“Well, there’s always Dog Whisperers,” Jake chuckled, making Y/N groan.

_Dog psychics, seriously? You have questionable taste in friends, Y/N._

Y/N’s head sharply turned towards Dean, her eyes narrowed as she looked over him, “Did…did you say something?” she asked him. Dean’s ears perked up, his posture straightened as he barked, looking at her.

_You can hear me? You can hear me! Oh, I take it back! You have GREAT friends!_

Dean was up on all fours now, barking in a steady stream, his tail wagging, and body twitching as he grew visibly excited.

Y/N turned to Jake, “Did you hear that?”

“I didn’t drink the brew,” Jake smirked, “So it’s working then? What is it he had to tell you?”

Y/N nodded, turning her full attention to Dean, resting her hands in her lap, “Okay Dean, what is it you’ve been trying to tell me?”

_Right. Right. My name is Dean Winchester. THE real, honest to God Dean Winchester. I was hunting a witch and she cast a spell on me. Said the world was better off without the menace of Winchesters. Next thing I know, I’m a dog, in a completely different universe._

Y/N stared blankly at Dean, blinking several times, before turning her attention to Jake, “What kind of hallucinogens are in this brew, Jake? Did you hit me with the peyote again, ‘cause I swear-”

“What? No. I told you, it’s mild, not enough to affect you that way,” he defended, before looking concerned, “Why? What did he say?”

_Y/N. Y/N, listen to me. We need to find a way to reverse the dog spell and then find a way to get me back home. I’ve been praying and praying, but no one answers. I guess prayers don’t travel inter-dimensionally._

“Okay, yeah, nope,” Y/N quickly rose from her seat, “Nope, nope, nope. I’m freaking trippin’. You gotta undo this thing, Jake.”

_What? No! Y/N, please. I need your help._

“I can’t Y/N,” Jake stood slowly, “It lasts a few days as far as I can tell. Just have to let it run its course,” he placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her to look at him, “What’s wrong?”

Dean growled his gaze on Jake. He didn’t like the way he was touching Y/N. _Overly affectionate douchebag._

“Dean, knock it off,” Y/N ordered, giving Dean a stern look. Dean whined, sitting back on his rear feet, “Apparently he’s a human, who was turned into a dog and is from a different universe,” Y/N shrugged, laughing humorlessly, “This is crazy,” she breathed out.

“Wow, really?” Jake’s brows rose to his hairline in surprise as he looked down at Dean, “Uh…yeah, I got nothin’.”

“Right, well, you helped me commune. So…thanks for that, I guess. Come on, Dean,” she headed out of the house, back towards her truck, opening the door for Dean to jump inside.

“Hey, if there’s any problems or anything I can do to help, just call, okay?” Jake smiled warmly at her and she nodded, giving him a tight hug before climbing into the truck and shutting the door with a long sigh, her eyes following Jake as he disappeared back into his house.

_He an ex or something?_

Y/N looked over at Dean before shaking her head, starting up the truck, “No, just a good friend. A few years ago we got drunk and he said he loved me, thought of having a life with me. But…he’s a good man, I just don’t feel the same way,” she smiled sadly at Dean before taking off back towards the house.

_So, Y/N_… Dean broke the long silence as they entered their home, _About my predicament…_

“Dean, I can’t,” she groaned, “This…do you have _any _idea how screwed up all of this is? How absolutely _insane _it sounds?!”

_How do you think I feel? I’m a freaking DOG, Y/N. Trapped in a completely different world and I have no CLUE how to get back to being myself and get home!_

“You’re right,” she relented, “I’m sorry,” she smiled, kneeling in front of him and reaching a hand to pet him but retracting it quickly, “Sorry.”

_It’s okay_. Dean stepped forward, nuzzling her hand with his nose and encouraging her to pet him._ I like when you do it. Feels nice._

She laughed, scratching behind his ear the way he liked, “Oh man, what have our lives become, huh?” she chuckled, “So…to-do list: make you human, interdimensional travel. Piece of pie, right?”

_Piece of cake_. Dean corrected, his eyes closing at her petting.

“Yeah, but you like pie, right? So…” she shrugged, smirking at her self-perceived cleverness, laughing when Dean snorted.

Dean reluctantly removed himself from the petting. _We need to find a witch_.

“Oh yeah, sure thing, let me just check the yellow pages and Craigslist,” Y/N scoffed sarcastically, rising from her feet and going to her desk where her laptop sat.

_You’d be surprised. Craigslist and Facebook are actually how we find a lot of witches. Social media, it’s a blessing and a curse._

Y/N giggled, taking a deep breath and settling in for long-term research. _Sam would be proud_, she smirked to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean starts settling into his new life when things suddenly change…again.

Sam sat on the floor in the hallway of the Bunker, his back against the wall, a mostly empty bottle of whiskey dangling in his hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had any decent amount of sleep. He had transported the witch to the Bunker dungeon and focused most of his energy on reading and translating the grimoire. But he couldn’t manage to pinpoint what she had done. He interrogated the witch relentlessly, brutally, but to no avail. He had prayed to Cas constantly over the last couple weeks but received no response. He briefly wondered if the witch had got to him too. **  
**

Out of options, and hope, Sam decided to drink thinking it might help him pass out long enough to wrangle a decent amount of sleep to continue functioning. Except now he sat on the floor in the Bunker, drunk off his ass, no closer to sleep or finding his brother. He lifted the bottle to take a sip, before scowling and tossing it at the opposite wall, watching it shatter, the brown liquid streaking down the wall into a puddle alongside the broken glass on the floor.

“Sam.”

Sam jumped slightly, his watery gaze torn from the remnants of his bottle to the source of the voice. He looked to his side and up, seeing Cas stood looking down at him in confusion.

“Cas?” Sam mumbled, pushing off the wall to help himself stand. He looked bewildered, stuck in a moment of silence, before stumbling forward and hugging the Angel in a tight embrace, “Where have you been? I’ve been praying,” Sam sniffed, pulling from the hug to look at his friend.

“I was in hiding, it’s a long story. But I was not able to come until now,” Cas explained, looking over Sam, taking note of the dark circles around his eyes, the bloodshot veins within them, and the blood staining his clothes, “What happened?”

“Dean,” Sam said in a shaky breath, “He was hunting a witch and she did something to him. Now he’s gone and I can’t figure out what she did…” he started to go into a panic once more, his hands running through his hair as he winced at the drunkenness making him woozy.

“Is the witch in there?” Cas asked, pointing to the dungeon just beyond them. At Sam’s nod, Cas’s face went stern and he marched into the dungeon, pulling the doors wide and walking up to the barely-alive witch strapped to the chair in the center of the room.

She lifted her head weakly, gazing at the Angel, “Do what you want,” she uttered, “I’ll never tell you where he is,” she forced a grin but winced as it pulled on the cuts and bruises littered across her face. Cas placed an open hand on top of her head, closing his eyes and focusing. She cried out in pain as he forced his way into her mind and through her vision.

“She turned him into a dog,” Cas said, removing his hand from her as she huffed rapid, shallow breaths, “And sent him to another universe,” he finished explaining, turning to Sam.

“What?!” Sam’s eyes went wide in shock, before his muscles tensed, ready to strike.

“I know what spells she used. Do you have her grimoire? We can engineer a reversal.”

“Yeah, I do,” Sam replied slowly as he glared at the witch, his body shaking from fury, “Do we need her?”

Cas turned, looking over the pitiful witch, “No,” he said, turning back to Sam and giving him a look before walking from the room. Sam grinned broadly as he picked up his knife from the table and slowly approached the trembling woman.

Y/N awoke slowly, groaning at the stiffness in her muscles. She had fallen asleep researching again, propped up against the headboard, her laptop still in her lap. She slammed it closed, tossing it on the bed beside her as she rubbed her eyes. For days they had been trying to find anything that could help Dean. They even met with a few self-proclaimed witches but came up empty every time. Dean held out hope that Sam was still looking on his end.

She made her way to the kitchen, setting up a pot of coffee on autopilot, her eyes half-closed as she moved through the motions of her morning routine. She leaned against the counter, humming as the smell of freshly brewed coffee began to fill the kitchen. She quickly prepared a cup, humming in satisfaction to herself as she took the first sip, savoring its comfort.

Her morning routine was interrupted by the sound of someone grunting. A very human, very male someone. She set her mug on the counter, retrieving her chef’s knife from the block and making her way into the living room towards the sound. Dean normally slept on the couch since she was able to start talking to him, finding it too weird to have him share her bed after that. As she rounded the couch, knife held high, expecting to see her dog, she saw a very _naked _Dean Winchester slowly waking there instead.

Dean groaned again, mumbling something as he opened his eyes to see Y/N stood in shock with a knife above her head.

“Whoa, hey! What the hell?” Dean shouted, quick to his feet. Y/N’s jaw dropped and she squeaked, her eyes falling to his _impressive physique_. Dean looked down at himself, suddenly realizing he was _very _much human and _very _much naked. He reached for the throw on the back of the couch, wrapping it around his waist quickly as he kept a wary eye on Y/N.

“Dean?” she squeaked once more, lowering the knife as she realized it was really him, and he was really there, “You weren’t lying,” she huffed with a smirk, “How?”

“I dunno,” Dean shrugged, “Maybe it just wore off?”

They stared at each other for a long moment before Y/N jumped in place slightly, “Oh! You probably need some clothes,” she blushed, rushing off to her room and returning with basic sweatpants and a simple t-shirt. 

“Thanks,” Dean mumbled as he accepted the clothes, excusing himself to the bathroom to get dressed. Y/N returned to her coffee in the kitchen. Her mind was a whirlwind as if it hadn’t been already since the moment she got her dog. _Not a dog_, she thought to herself, _Dean Fucking Winchester_.

“Is it alright if I make a cup?” Dean said, breaking her from her train of thought.

“Oh, of course,” she said, pouring him a cup and passing it to him. Dean took a hearty gulp, moaning as he leaned against the counter.

“So,” Y/N cleared her throat, “_Not _a dog,” she smirked.

Dean laughed, “I _did _try telling you,” he teased.

“That you did,” she agreed with a warm smile, “Maybe Sam did something on his end and that’s why you’re you again?”

“Maybe,” Dean agreed, “Now I just need to figure out getting back. Last time something like this happened, it took an Archangel’s power.”

“Yeah, but if a witch cast a spell, I’m guessing that’s not the case here,” Y/N frowned.

“Well, now that I have opposable thumbs, I can _really _do some research,” Dean laughed, “Is it okay if I use your computer?”

Y/N let him use the computer and he poured himself another cup of coffee as he settled in at the dining table. Y/N left to run a few errands, leaving Dean to his research.

“Alright,” he sighed, cracking his knuckles, “Let’s get back home.”

Sam exited the dungeon in search of Cas, finding him reviewing the grimoire in the Library. Cas looked up from the book as Sam entered, taking note of the bits of blood splattered over Sam’s clothes. He didn’t have to see it to know Sam viciously worked over the witch. He was at least grateful the screaming had ceased.

“Was all that really necessary?” Cas groaned.

“Yes,” Sam answered simply, looking over Cas’ shoulder at the book.

“I think I found the spell,” Cas changed the subject, pointing out the text to Sam, “We’re gonna need a few things.”

Sam nodded, looking over the ingredients and the steps for the spell, “Alright, why don’t you do that while I set up?”

Cas nodded with a sigh, patting Sam on the shoulder, “We’ll get him back. Don’t worry.”

Sam slightly nodded in response but kept his focus on the book. Neither of them was sure it would actually work, but they had to try. As Cas disappeared, Sam let out a long breath, some of the tension seeping from his shoulders. He was beyond exhausted, and still a little drunk, as he forced himself to focus and begin prepping for the spell. He just needed to get Dean back, then he could relax and sleep for days.

Y/N pulled into the driveway in front of the house, putting her truck in park and letting out a long sigh as she looked through the window at her home.

When she left earlier, she made up an excuse about running errands just to get away for a while. Seeing Dean, _the _Dean, as a human - and naked to boot - was more than she was prepared to handle. She didn’t do well with men. Let alone with a man she had fantasized about on more than one occasion. So she ran while she tried to collect her thoughts and prepare herself to face him - and help him get home.

Could she really let him go now that he was there? Did she even have a choice? He wasn’t hers. He wasn’t there for her.

With another heavy sigh, she heaved herself from the truck and grabbed the bags of takeout she had picked up, making her way inside.

“Dean?” she called out tentatively as she entered the house. What if he found a way back home already? What if he was gone?

“In here.”

She followed his voice to the dining room, seeing him sitting in one of the chairs, rubbing his temples with the laptop in front of him.

“I brought food,” she said quietly, setting the bag on the table, “Find anything?” She handed him the burger and fries she had picked up and passed them to him.

“No,” he sighed, shutting the laptop and tucking into his food, moaning at the first bite of his burger, “As far as I can tell, that sort of magic doesn’t exist here.”

“So how do we get you back?” she asked as she too dug into her food, sitting across from him.

“At this point, I think we hope Sam and Cas can find something on their end. I’m not really sure what else to do.” He dropped his gaze, his food momentarily forgotten as he let the implications swirl through his already overburdened mind.

“Well,” Y/N sighed, trying to at least stay positive and strong for him. In watching the show, she had always wanted to care for Dean. To wrap him in her arms, soothe his mind and worries, give him a place of comfort and love. She couldn’t do much, but she could at least offer him that, “You’re welcome to stay here, of course. I can get you some more clothes and things you might need. I wouldn’t recommend going out and about though.”

“Why not?”

“Well,” she shrugged, “You’re not anonymous or invisible here. People know your face, know the show.”

“Huh,” he huffed, smirking a little, “It’d be interesting to be known for acting instead of grave desecrations,” he huffed a laugh, shaking his head, “Nah, I get it. I’ll stick around here. Besides, you’ve got plenty around the property to do. I don’t mind lending a hand. I know you stay pretty busy trying to keep up with this place on your own.”

“I hire day workers when I need them. You don’t have to-”

“I knew you were gonna say that,” he slumped, but still held a smirk on his face, “While I was a dog I saw all the things you do. I’m gonna help, earn my keep,” he raised a hand as he saw her about to protest, “I _insist_.”

“Who would’ve thought I’d have _the _Dean Winchester as a farm-hand,” she smirked back, finishing off her lunch. Dean laughed in response. He wasn’t sure if Sam and Cas would find him or even be able to get him back home. But, if he were being honest with himself, being here with Y/N living a normal life was growing more appealing by the minute.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Cas finally catch up to Dean who struggles to make a choice.

Dean stood wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand as he admired his work. For the past week, he had been helping Y/N make repairs on her property, helping to bring her father’s farm back to working order. There was still plenty of work to be done.

Everything had been neglected as her father fell ill and then passed. Y/N had been trying to get everything up to par once more. Her father had worked the farm for years, mostly on his own, producing enough to sell in town and support himself and the farm. Y/N was attempting to continue that legacy, but Dean knew she was struggling as she was still dealing - or _not _dealing - with her father’s passing and everything that came with it.

Dean enjoyed the work. It was hard work, but hands-on, and the fruits of his labor were clearly visible and tangible to him every day. It had been nearly two weeks since he’d turned human once more. He missed his brother and his friend. He missed the thrill of the hunt. He wondered what atrocities had befallen mankind in his absence. He also wondered what _didn’t _happen simply because he wasn’t there to fuck it up. With each passing day, he found himself wanting to stay. It wasn’t just the work. It wasn’t just the peace and quiet and simplicity in life. But he didn’t dare vocalize, let alone let himself think of all the reasons he wanted to stay.

“Hey,” Y/N’s voice broke him from his thoughts and he turned to her with a broad smile, accepting the ice-cold beer she handed him, “Thought you could use a drink,” she smiled before looking over his work, “Damn, you’re really good at this,” she chuckled, meeting his eyes once more.

“Thanks,” he smirked, sipping on his beer and allowing his eyes to trail over her form. She was strong yet shapely with curves for days. He imagined she would have made one hell of a hunter.

“Go get washed up. Dinner will be ready soon,” she smiled at him once more, making her way back to the house. Dean’s eyes followed her the whole way, his focus on her legs and her hips that swung with every step. He bit his lip and sighed, shaking off the not-so-innocent thoughts plaguing him as he finished off his beer and headed for a much-needed shower.

“Where the Hell are we?” Sam asked Cas as he took in their surroundings. They were in the middle of a wooded area. Sam looked all around him, seeing the portal they had opened shimmering behind them.  
Cas closed his eyes, attempting to pick up anything at all, but was coming up blank. No energy signals, no angel radio.

“I’m not sensing anything,” Cas grumbled in annoyance.

Sam looked him over and huffed a breath, “Alright, let’s go this way,” he said reluctantly, making his way through the wood. A short distance later, they emerged from the woods into a suburban neighborhood, “He was a dog, right?” Sam groaned, “Maybe we should check the local vets and shelters, see if anyone picked up any dogs lately?”

Cas nodded as they made their way down the sidewalk, Sam stopping to ask directions before they continued into the small town.

“Uh, Sam?” Cas drew his attention as they made their way onto the main street of town, “People are looking at us rather strangely.”

Sam looked to Cas in confusion before looking around them, noticing a few people staring or quickly turned their heads with shocked expressions.

“What the Hell is going on here?” he mumbled to himself. A couple of blocks down, the Library came into view, sending the gears turning in Sam’s mind, “Library,” he muttered, “We can use a computer, see if we can find anything to help us out.”

The Library was small and didn’t have many people inside. There were only three computers available and they were all currently being used. Sam decided to look over the local newspapers while he waited. As he looked over the periodicals rack, he did a double-take at one of the magazines there. He quickly looked around him, making sure no one was near him as he grabbed the magazine and studied the cover - a picture of him and Dean on the cover, _Supernatural _mentioned. He quickly opened the magazine, scouring over the article listed there before cursing under his breath.

“What is it?” Cas asked, accepting the magazine as Sam passed it to him with a heavy breath, “I-I don’t understand.”

“Remember when Balthazar sent us to that alternate universe where our lives were a TV show?” Sam ground out. He saw the moment it all clicked for Cas, “Yeah,” he sighed, “We need to find Dean.”

A knock at the door drew Dean’s attention from where he was relaxing in the living room, picking out a movie for him and Y/N. She was finishing up cleaning up dinner - even though he always offered, and she always told him no, “You do enough.”

He rose from the couch, curious as Y/N rarely had visitors, and glanced through the peephole before his eyes went wide.

“Sam?” he exclaimed as he threw open the door, “Cas?” His eyes wide he stepped onto the porch, quickly embracing them each in turn. He glanced back into the house, pulling the door closed, before turning back to them. “How did you guys find me?”

“I got there an hour after you. I managed to capture her, brought her back to the dungeon. Cas got in her mind and we reverse-engineered from her grimoire,” Sam hastily explained, “Tracking you _here _however wasn’t as easy.”

“Wow, okay, so…now what?” Dean asked.

“Now we go back to the portal,” Sam said, checking his watch, “We have about an hour before it closes, so we need to go now,” he stated, hustling down the steps of the porch.

Dean glanced back at the house, then back to Sam helplessly, “Wait…I-I need a minute,” he uttered.

“Dean, we don’t have time-”

“Give me a damn minute Sam!” Dean shouted, before going into the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

Y/N stood in the living room, looking at him worriedly, “Dean? Are you okay? Who was at the door?” she asked, getting a step closer with each question.

Dean took a deep breath. She was a fan. He knew she’d understand. But it didn’t make it easier.

“Sam and Cas,” he said, holding her gaze.

“Oh?” she said before it settled on her, “Oh! Really?!” she rushed passed him, peeking out the side window and seeing them shuffling in front of the house. She turned to face Dean with a bright smile, “So why are they out there? You can invite them in.”

His shoulders slumped and he dropped his head, shaking it before looking at her once more, “They’ve come to get me. There’s a portal, back to my world, and it’ll only hold for another hour,” he explained, and he found it odd that it was so hard to tell her this, to go.

Y/N’s face fell as she realized just what that meant, “You’re leaving,” she whispered, swallowing hard. She always knew it wouldn’t last, that he’d go back at some point. But in the time he was here, they had fallen into a routine, into a comfortable companionship. He was no longer _Dean Winchester: Fictional Character_, but now he was _Dean Winchester: the guy, the friend_.

“I can drive you there,” she offered, perking up somewhat, “I can take you all in my truck, so you don’t cut it close,” she added with a small, forced smile.

Dean couldn’t help it. He was selfish. He wanted the extra time with her, as little as it was.

He nodded with a smile and she nodded back, grabbing her keys from the holder and opening the door, “Well, come on, let’s go,” she grinned, stepping out onto the porch. Her eyes immediately landed on Sam and Cas, standing at the foot of the steps. She couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across her face, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

“Uh, guys,” Dean began, “This is Y/N.”

“Hi,” she beamed, rushing down the steps and shaking their hands in turn, “Well, let’s get you all to this portal!” she announced, heading to her truck.

“Dean-” Sam whispered, pulling his brother aside.

“I’ll tell you later, Sam,” Dean sighed, his whole demeanor slumped as he made his way to the truck. The conversation was light as Sam provided directions to the wooded neighborhood area. It only took thirty minutes before the small group was standing before the waning light of the portal.

“Well, this is us,” Sam said with a soft smile to Y/N, his eyes flitting to Dean briefly, “Thanks for looking out for him.”

“It was nice to meet you guys,” Y/N offered in return. Cas and Sam glanced between Y/N and Dean once more before moving away closer to the portal, seeing Dean clearly needed a moment to say goodbye.

Y/N turned to Dean, swallowing down her disappointment and readying her farewell.

“Come with me,” Dean whispered before she could speak, turning to face her with a pained expression, “Come with me, Y/N.”

“Dean,” she sighed, her heart swelling from his words, “I can’t,” she whispered with a broken voice, “You know I can’t. I would love to, I really would. But my life is here, my home is here-” she cut herself off, shaking her head as she lowered her gaze, trying to muster the strength not to cry.

“Then I’ll stay,” Dean stepped close to her, one hand finding her side as the other cupped her face, bringing her eyes back to his, “I’m not ready to let you go.”

“You have to go, Dean,” she smiled at him with watery eyes, “You’re needed there. Sam and Cas need you. That world needs you.”

He dropped his forehead to hers, his eyes closing as he let out a long sigh. He knew she was right, but it didn’t make it any easier. In the time he’d spent with her, he realized she was everything he’d ever wanted. He’d dared to think of more with her, a future with her.

But as with most things in his life, it was just outside of his reach.

“I know,” he finally admitted, opening his eyes and letting them take in every detail to be burned in his memory. He closed his eyes once more as he leaned in, giving her a sweet kiss, saying all he couldn’t in words.

She hummed, returning the kiss, allowing herself to get lost in the feel of him. As he pulled away, too soon for her liking, a quiet sob left her lips, the tears finally silently working their way down her cheeks. She was surprised to see a lone tear streak down his own.

“Goodbye, Sweetheart,” he breathed out, reluctantly releasing her and wiping his face. He gave her a tight, forced smile and a nod as he made his way to the portal.

“You okay?” Sam asked him. Dean nodded in response, watching as Cas and then Sam stepped through the portal. He paused, trying to make his feet move forward and struggling. He turned back, seeing Y/N smiling and nodding at him to go. With one last smile, he turned and walked through.


End file.
